ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
INCREASE AND PRESERVATION OF VEGETABLE CROP DIVERSITY: THE NECESSITY OF INTERNATIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY COOPERATION |
| Author: | J.Y. Péron |
| Abstract:
In spite of the experience of some of us on vegetable crops diversification, it is not easy to define what we mean by the concept of "New Vegetable Crop", all the more so since we see a tremendous internationalisation in vegetable production. Broadening of the vegetable diversity likely to be proposed to consumers is the result of valorization of, on one hand, the local varieties of common vegetables in each country and, on the other hand, specialty, lost or forgotten vegetables and edible wild plants present in each country, but also exploitation of particular crop technologies like production of etiolated sprouts as well as creating of new types in well known species. Genetic diversity, represented by all the species and varieties of vegetables all over the world, has to be preserved for future generations mainly because it constitutes genetic basis for diversification or breeding programmes. Furthermore, valorization and preservation of vegetable genetic diversity imply that the knowledge of this diversity has to be maintened and transmitted from generation to generation without neglecting the traditional disciplines of biology. All these actions require an international and multidisciplinary cooperation. The challenge of our ISHS working group on New Vegetable crops created in Florence in 1990, is to bring a full contribution to the management of this vegetable diversity in the field of valorization, preservation and knowledge maintenance. | |
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